There will be a drought management workshop scheduled at the Sierra Research and Extension Center on January 29th. See the attached flyer for details. The December forage clipping at Sierra Research and Extension Center was 47.38 lbs /ac. The average is 482 lbs /ac. we are at 9.8 % of normal. I am available to discuss grazing planning and any culling decision if that is helpful for you. 

Remember - DO NOT FEED YOUR WAY OUT OF A DROUGHT!

Scholarships Available for the 2013 PlacerGROWN Farm Conference

Scholarships are now available to apply for attending the 2013 PlacerGROWN Farm Conference. You can find the application form online at: http://ucanr.edu/sites/PGFFC/. If you have trouble finding the application, please contact Roger Ingram at 530-889-7385 or email at rsingram@ucanr.edu. The application is due by January 18^th.

The theme of the 2013 PlacerGROWN Farm Conference is Survive and Thrive. This conference will be held Saturday, January 26^th at Lincoln High School from 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM. The conference is co-sponsored by UC Cooperative Extension and PlacerGROWN. The keynote part of the conference will feature a panel that will discuss trends over the next 5-10 years on the following topics: Land Use, Water, Regulations, Local Farms, Demographics, and Marketing of Local Food 

Participants will be provided an opportunity to respond to each panel member’s presentation. There will be discussion on implications and potential responses with the audience with the audience.

After the keynote will be two workshops sessions, one before and one after lunch. Workshops will run for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Workshops have a theme of selling strategies, consumer education, and improving profitability Workshops include:

• Consumer Outreach to Enhance awareness and Marketing of Specialty Crops in the Placer and Nevada Counties 
• Display Ideas and Interactions with Customers That Can Improve Your Sales
• Things to Consider in Becoming Effective at Direct Marketing
• Understanding Selling Wholesale and its Potential in Expanding Your Sales
• How to Project Profit and Cash Flow Before the Beginning of Your Production Year
• Production Planning Based on Economic and Cash Flow Projections
• Learning How Social Media Can Improve Sales
• Developing Your Niche Meat Business
• Determining Your Niche Meat Marketing Costs

The cost of the conference is $40 if you pre-register by January 18^th and $50 after that date. Your registration fee includes: Continental breakfast, Proceedings, Trade Show, Keynote Panel, Workshops, and Lunch. Details for admission and registration are available at the PlacerGROWN website at www.placergrown.org. More conference information is available at ucanr.org/sites/PGFFC/